Cargo structure for aerial craft.



.1. J. REYNOLDS. & A. H. JENKINS.

CARGO-STRUETURE FOR AERIAL CRAFT.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 21. I916.

Patented Oct. 16, 1917'.

, UNITED STATES PATENT orrrou.

JOHN. J. REYNOLDS AND ARTHUR H. JENKINS, F RULEVILLE, MISSISSIPPI.

Application filed July 21, 1916. Serial No. 110,527.

To all whom may concern:

itknown that we, JOHN J. REYNOLDS .and, ARTHUR H.- JENKINS, citizens of the United States, residing at Ruleville, in the '2 county of Sunflower and State of Missisa desirable and efiicient means for carrying cargo in aerial craft of allkinds, and in the a present instance is particularly adapted to use with dirigible balloons.

It has for an important object to enable the loading of cargo in carrying units and ready attachment of the units to the body of the craft with a minimum of time, whereby the craft does not require to be maintained or re-v tained atthe loading point during the loading period, but only for thelength of time necessary to attach the carrying elements to the chassis. A further important purpose is to enable the release of the cargo entirely, or in part, as desired, at will, A further object is to give a desirable construction in cargo carrying structures and supporting devicestherefor. p

' Additional objects, advantages and features of invention are apparent in the following description and the drawings of the application, wherein,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of dirigible balloons, upon which our invention is incorporated,

Fig. 2 is a detail' view of the cargo carrying element,

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing one of the elements and its mounting, after release. Fig. 4 is a detail of one of the trigger levers.

Fig. 5 is a similar view of a modification. There is illustrated a dirigible balloon,

which may be of any suitable construction,

and in the present instance includes twin balloon elements 10, from which there is suspended in a suitable mannera car 11, which may be of any desired length and construction.

1 The car has secured to its under side at intervals longitudinally thereof a plurality of transverse brackets 12, each consisting of an upper plate portion 13 secured to the un der side of the car in a proper manner, and flange portions 14;, projected in arallel relation to the bottom of the car, t e brackets in the present instance being such as might Specification of Letters Patent.

CARGO STRUCTURE FOR AERIAL CRAFT.

Patented Oct. 16, 1917.

be formed from sheet metal stamped in the manner indicated. All of the flanges 14 are projected in the same direction, and a suitable distance therefrom there are pivoted on slot 18 in the floor of the car and curved to although any other suitable mounting for the levers may be employed.

Cargo bins 25 are provided, which may be of any desired material and form, having at the front and rear ends a transversely e. tending beam or flange 26, adjacent the upper edge of the bin, either oneadapted to be engaged over the flange ll of one of the brackets 12, while the other is e11 gaged by the hook arm 16 of the adjzr cent trigger lever 15. The blocks 21 are so adjusted upon the cable 20 as to rest immediately adjacent allof the arms 15 of those trigger levers which are engaged with the bins as described, so that when the cable 20 is moved properly, all of the trigger levers will be so moved as to be disengaged, clearing the flanges 26 ofbins, which will then be free to falLat the end adjacent the levers, and their opposite ends will automatically fall away from the bracketsil2. If desired, the bins may, be constructed with water tight closures: in any approved manner so that the contents will not be damaged if dropped into the ocean If occasion should. arise requiring the release of only a part .ofthecargo, it will be apparent thatthe upwardly .rojccting arms 15 of any of the levers Y be moved or released of the cargo, binsfwengaged thereby, without disturbing any of the others.

. ous forms of which are well known in the art, and are therefore not described. On the lifting efficiency of the balloon elements 1Q, only so .much of the cargo need the discharged as is necessary to compensate? for the lost eificienoy. In the event that a ballonnet in one of the elements damaged so as to disturb the proper 'balarice'of the machine, a cargo element near! the daihaged .unit may be. released, and restored. It will be observed that the trigger levers are so constructed that tliehv hook arms will fall into engagement tinder? action of gravity, but if found desirable any desired means for'securing them in engaged posi- -tionmay 'be employed. 1 The bin elements in the present instance. are shown constructed with sides Ofbasket or lattice work,

whereby their weight is greatly lessened.

In Fig. 5 thereisi'ilj lustracd a modification of the cargo release in which a lever 15 is employed having the hook arm 17 extended below the bottom 16 for'engagement with the bins as before described, an operating handle being pr'ovided 0n the up per part thereof adapted to lie horizontally in a recess '27 formed inf/the floor. A short may be engaged shown. t g Directly above eajc h bin element 25, there arm 28 is extended upwardly from the lever with which the 'able,2l0 is enggedin the same way as with; lever before described. An individual operating cable 20,

are formed doorsfl opening upwardly, allowing the admitta" cc of a person, for inspection of the cargo, or for the performance of other duties therein, it being entirely safe fora; personto be admitted into the bin, as the securing means for the bins are of sufli'c'i ent strength to support considerable weight. The doors when closed lie flush witty/the hook arm17', as

obstructions. Th1s permits utillzation or rearrangement of the cargo without exposing thecrew toundue peril, and without requiring loosening or other movement of-theja'stenings of the bins. 7

What is claimed: t 1. In an air craft, a superstructureincluding a floor, a plurality of. cargo' carrying with the floor, and therefore do not ofi'er any 7 chambers having up'per 'side's disposed to engage snugly the su'Pe'rstruCtureand' respective door members 'sjetiinfsaid floor over-- the chambers constructedjtoopenfor access to the chambers from-within said superstructure, releasable'means'to hold said chambers in rigid relationu'pon, the superstructure,

and means to release said last named means. 2. A device of. the character described comprising a support, a plurality of rest ele:

ments upon the underside thereof projected in a given" direction, a corresponding number of lever elements having portions projected inan opposite direction to that first mentioned for cooperation with said rests,

containers having portions adapted to rest uponsaid' rests and said projected portions of the levers, said levers having arms extended in a common direction, an-operating 7 JOHN J. REYNOLDS.

ARTHUR H. JENKINS. Witnesses:

H. L. WOODWARD, CHRISTIAN Nmnsnn, J r. 

